Mo’ Fun, Mo’ Excitement with the Moustache Hunt Appreciation Society

There I was one night, innocently stalking through friends photos on Facebook when I came across my friend Jane — fabulous Burning Man camp mate of mine — in an odd pose. She had a very knowing look on her face and her index finger placed over her mouth.

All her friends photos seemed to be variations of the same pose. Then it hit me. Every one of these photos contained somewhere a person with a fabulous, bushy, brushy, crazy moustache.

Yes, the Moustache Hunt Appreciation Society Facebook page boasts image after image of these wonderful bushy things that seem to be some sort of halfway house between clean shaven and a full beard.

I immediately became a Facebook Fan, then contacted Travis Crockett, the creator of those lovely photos that gave me such enjoyment.

Moustaches are weird, says Crockett, it appears they serve no practical purpose. As a fashion statement, their popularity peaked in the 70’s and has been in decline ever since. With the advent of Movember, it seemed that perhaps moustaches were making a comeback, but only for one month a year.

However, when I met Vaughan Grandin – founder of the Moustache Hunt Appreciation Society — in Paris, late 2008, it became apparent that moustaches are still fashionable in some parts of the world all year round. Moustache hunting was born.

Moustache hunting began as a fun group activity, during a tour of central Europe, to keep Crockett amused when moving between different tourist attractions. Now hunters hail from everywhere. Bavaria, Italy and Spain all prove fruitful ground for the hunt, although Turkey tops the list with a “the thicker the better” attitude toward moustache sporting.

Luckily, you don’t have to travel far to be part of the hunt. Pick up a camera and join the club from wherever you live.

Moustache Hunting Rules Are Simple

Spot an exceptional or interesting moustache and approach with caution. Then with the aid of a wingperson photographer, position yourself, as the hunter, as close as possible without alerting said moustache to your presence.

For a “Mo shot” to be accepted by the Moustache Hunt Appreciation Society, the moustache must be in plain view with the hunter clearly visible in the photograph. Most important, the subject must not be aware that it is being photographed for its moustache.

The best hunters are able to further enhance shots by posing, which involves placing the index finger across the top lip or simply pointing to the moustache region of the face. Other qualities that can make a mo shot standout are proximity of the hunter to the prey, when the shot also contains a scenic or famous background or when the subject mo is making eye contact with the camera, usually resulting in an hilarious bewildered expression on the part of the mo owner.

I managed to take my first Mo shot on a bus in Zurich. Do I get extra points for bringing my child into the picture?

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